The present invention relates generally to the discovery of a unique class of antihypertensive neutral lipids and it is an object of the invention to teach the use of a class of neutral glycerolipids to lower the arterial blood pressure of warm-blooded experimental animals. The term antihypertensive neutral lipid refers to a 1-alkyl-2-short chain carbon acyl-sn-glycerol.
In our co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 232,790 filed Feb. 9, 1981, we describe and claim a class of alkyl acetylated phosphocholine compounds which can be synthesized from choline-containing plasmalogens extracted from beef heart containing 16-18 carbon alkyl moieties. By appropriate reduction and acetylation therein described, 1-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine compounds also known as platelet activating factor and hereinafter referred to as PAF are produced which, when administered either intravenously or orally to hypertensive (or normal) animals, result in a profound lowering of arterial pressure.